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Wagering And Purse Records Fall At Zia Park’s 2023 Meet

The 19th season of horse racing at Zia Park was a record setting one on several fronts with new standards set for average daily handle, purses and safety during the 30-day mixed Quarter Horse/Thoroughbred meet, the PENN Entertainment-owned track said in a release Thursday afternoon.

An average daily handle of $830,371 was up 72% from the 48-date meet in 2022 to set a new track record and was the highest daily handle recorded by a racetrack in the state of New Mexico since 2010. Live handle was up an equally impressive 47% from 2022. Five of the tracks ten all-time highest daily handles were recorded in 2023, all coming in the last 15 days of the meet.

Purses were a big reason in driving the average Thoroughbred field size to nearly nine horses per race (8.91) versus last year's 7.45 per race figure. Average daily overnight purses totaled $344,067, both a track and New Mexico record. Total average daily purses, including stakes, was $432,767.

Racing safety also set records with only two racing catastrophic injuries the entire meet resulting in a rate of 0.74 per 1000 starters–the lowest ever recorded for Zia Park and nearly 50% lower than the national average for dirt races as published by The Jockey Club's Equine Injury Database. There was one catastrophic injury during training which began Oct. 1.

“From all metrics the meet was a great success–records set for wagering, purses and in safety as well,” said Lauren Barrows, Vice President and General Manager. “We thank all our guests, horsemen and racing participants and team members for having a part in delivering those impressive numbers.”

Todd Fincher won his third straight training title, while jockey Luis Fuentes secured his second straight leading rider title. The leading Thoroughbred owners were J. Kirk and Judy Robison.

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Record Purses for ’23 Zia Park Meet

Purses for the upcoming race meet at Zia Park will be the richest in the track's 24 years, with overnight purses expected to average $360,000 per day for the 30-day mixed Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse meet.

“With the realignment of the 2023 New Mexico racing calendar, this is a tremendous opportunity to showcase New Mexico horse racing,” said Christopher McErlean, Vice President of Racing for PENN Entertainment, parent company of Zia Park. “There will be racing opportunities for all categories–New Mexico-breds and open horses, wide ranges of allowance classes and plenty of spots for different claiming levels–and the purses will be unlike anything seen in this region of the country. If horsemen don't have Zia Park on their radar yet, they should take notice and make plans to participate.”

Maiden special weight races at the meet will have a $45,000 base purse, with New Mexico-bred exclusive races offering a $55,000 purse. Open allowance categories will range from $52,500 up to $65,000, while New Mexico-bred allowance races will get an added $12,000 per race. Claiming race purses will range from $24,000 to $46,500 (plus $7,000 to $8,000 added for New Mexico-bred races), with claiming categories from $7,500 to $25,000.

The 2023 Zia Park stakes schedule will be highlighted by back-to-back-to-back million-dollar stakes days. Seven New Mexico-bred stake races totaling over $1.2 million in purses will be in the spotlight Nov. 26. The day is headed by the $350,000 (est.) New Mexico Classic Cup Futurity and the $225,000 (est.) New Mexico Classic Cup Derby.

On Nov. 27, New Mexico-bred Thoroughbreds will face off in eight New Mexico Classic Cup championship races worth over $1.2 million, including the $200,000 Peppers Pride S. for older fillies and mares going one mile and the $200,000 Rocky Gulch S. for older male horses going one mile and seventy yards.

The trifecta of million-dollar stakes days concludes Nov. 28 with the Land of Enchantment Stakes Day featuring seven stakes worth over $1.1 million, including the $300,000 Zia Park Derby and the $300,000 Zia Park Oaks, both at one mile and one sixteenth.

The Zia Park meet begins Nov. 3, with Quarter Horse racing every Saturday and Sunday (plus Nov. 3) and Thoroughbred racing every Monday and Tuesday (plus Dec. 20).

Stall applications for the 2023 Zia Park race meet are due Aug. 15 and can be found at https://www.ziaparkcasino.com/racing. The stable area is expected to open the week of Sept. 25.

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Acton Appointed Sam Houston Racing Secretary

Veteran racing official Mike Acton has been hired as Sam Houston Race Park's track's Racing Secretary. He assumed the role on Feb. 3 and will serve in the same capacity at Retama Park and Zia Park during their respective meets this year.

“Mike is an experienced racing professional who has deep connections in our region that will serve the industry well,” Sam Houston Vice President and General Manager Dwight Berube said.

Acton most recently served as the Racing Secretary at both Remington Park and Lone Star Park.

“I am going to miss my co-workers at Remington and Lone Star,” Acton said. “But I am humbled to work with great people at Sam Houston and Retama and am excited about meeting everyone at Zia Park.”

The Sam Houston Thoroughbred meet continues through Apr. 8.

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Noffsinger Named Prairie Meadows Track Superintendent

Ryan Noffsinger has been named track superintendent at Prairie Meadows. A third-generation horseman, Noffsinger has worked at tracks from California, Arizona, New Mexico and, most recently, in Florida.

“In my 18 years working in various roles with track maintenance, I've been able to gain valuable knowledge at tracks like Del Mar, Turf Paradise, Zia Park, Sunland Park, Gulfstream Park West and Palm Meadows which will serve me well as Track Superintendent for Prairie Meadows,” Noffsinger said.

Prairie Meadows Vice President for Racing Derron Heldt added, “Ryan brings so much to the table with his experience, dedication and love of the industry as a third-generation horseman and having worked in various roles in track maintenance, I feel confident in his abilities to provide a solid and consistent racing surface for the horses, jockeys and racing industry participants that come to race in Iowa.”

Prairie Meadows' live racing season begins with 20 days of Thoroughbred-only racing from May 12-June 17 and is followed by a mixed Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse schedule of 60 race days from June 18-Sept. 30.

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